Democratic Candidate for Tom Rooney’s Florida Seat Dies Unexpectedly – By Stephanie Akin (rollcall.com) / Sept 24 2018
April Freeman was expected to face Republican Greg Steube in November
Democratic Women in Congress Launch Campaign to Recruit More Female Candidates Women and Men Disagree on Kavanaugh After Sexual Assault Allegation Understanding the Constitution Is Hard, This New Website Helps Explain
Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., is retiring after five terms. (Bill Clark/Roll Call file photo)
April Freeman, a Democrat who was running for retiring Rep. Tom Rooney’s Florida seat, has died unexpectedly, according to media reports Monday.
Her husband, David Freeman, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that his wife appeared to have had a heart attack Sunday night.
While Freeman’s name will remain on the 17th District ballot, Florida Democrats will be allowed, under state law, to designate a replacement.
“The Democratic Party will have the opportunity to designate a nominee to fill the vacancy. A notice will be provided to voters indicating that a vote for the former party nominee will be counted for the person designated by the political party to replace the former party nominee,” Sarah Revell, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of State, said in an email.
Freeman, 54, a film and television producer and co-founder of a political consulting firm, easily won the Democratic nomination in August to face Republican Greg Steube. This was her second attempt at the seat — she lost to Rooney by 28 points in 2016.
Accentuating the difficult task she faced in flipping a district that backed President Donald Trump by 27 points, Freeman had raised only $28,000 through the pre-primary reporting period that ended Aug. 8 compared to $527,000 for Steube.
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the 17th District race Solid Republican.
